Dave Alvin

Upcoming: Miranda Lambert, Hall & Oates, Public Enemy, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.

.38 Special: With Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult., Fri., May 31, 8 p.m., TBA. Arena Theatre, 7326 SW Freeway, Houston. Attack Attack!: With The Plot In You, Get Scared, Dangerkids, Closer to Closure., Thu., May 16, 6 p.m., $13.50/$17.00. Fitzgerald's, 2706 White Oak, Houston. Bret Michaels: Sat., June 2 ... More >>

Peter Case: Ex-Plimsoul Heads Back to San Francisco's Beatnik Nights

Old-school punk impresario, power-pop godfather, and singer-songwriter extraordinaire Peter Case (The Nerves, The Plimsouls) continues to thrive on the weary road, armed with a sense of honesty and history in the newfangled digital era. Rocks Off spoke with him recently before he arrives in Houston ... More >>

Houston Scores Big-Time In Latest Editon Of Encyclopedia Of Country Music: Part 3

The further one digs into the second edition of The Encyclopedia of Country Music, the deeper one's appreciation of the contributions of Houston's country-music pioneers becomes. Yeah, just check out the black circles under the eyes and drunk-ass grins on Leon Payne's band above. That photo alone sp ... More >>

Upcoming: Sleigh Bells, Steve Earle, Hayes Carll, George Jones, Eyehategod, Etc.

Acid Baby Jesus, Night Beats, Paint Fumes: Thu., April 26. Walter's, 1120 Naylor St., Houston. "Praia Urbana" With ATFC, DJ Spen: Sat., March 10, 2 p.m. Last Concert Cafe, 1403 Nance St., Houston. Belanova: Tue., April 24. House of Blues, 1204 Caroline, Houston. Bowling For Soup, Patten Pending, ... More >>

Etta James: A Closer Look Into One Of The Greatest Voices Ever Heard

Etta James, almost universally praised as one of the finest voices of our era, has passed away at 73. Ironically, Ms. James had been discovered and recorded by rhythm and blues pioneer Johnny Otis, who passed away only two days ago. Ms. James, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 ... More >>

Distant Early Warning: The Civil Wars, Briokids, Otenki, The Kills, Titan Blood

​August Burns Red, Silverstein: Wed., Jan. 25. House of Blues. B L A C K I E, LIMB: Fri., Nov. 18. Notsuoh. Better Than Ezra, Dash Rip Rock: Thu., Dec. 29. House of Blues. Blue October: Sat., Dec. 31. House of Blues. Bob Schneider: Sat., Nov. 26. House of Blues. Briokids, Texas Dub: Sat., ... More >>

Last Night: Peter Case At McGonigel's Mucky Duck

Photos by David Ensminger​Peter Case McGonigel's Mucky Duck June 28, 2011 Surviving 40 years of rock and roll is not nearly the same as embodying it, preserving artful, poetic, and transcendent song forms that persevere as the world unveils socio-political and cultural shifts, religious uphea ... More >>

Upcoming: Bootsy Collins, Dave Alvin, Wanda Jackson, Etc.

​Amplified Heat: Sat., May 21. Continental Club. Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim: CHANGED Fri., May 20. Verizon Wireless Theater. Band Of Mercy, Titan Blood: Thu., May 12. Mango's. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Paul Wall: Sun., May 22. Arena Theatre. Boney James & Regina Belle: Thu., May 26. Arena ... More >>

Jungle Rockers

Inquiring Minds: Exene Cervenka on Losing a Friend, Weeping Willows, Albums as Collage and Her Good Buddy Biscuit

Ali Smith/Bloodshot Records​Exene Cervenka is one of those musicians who makes an interviewer nervous; like, you hope the questions you come up with are good enough not to piss her off, or worse, laugh at you. Besides a published poet and accomplished visual artist, Cervenka and now-ex-husband/re ... More >>

Somewhere Trouble Don't Go

The best Texas albums of 2009...or what we could squeeze in.

2009 Concert Rewind: SXSW 09 Revisited, Broken Arm and Everything Else

​ Balaclavas: "On the way to see Houston's own Balaclavas at the Independent to debut new stuff off the soon-to-be released Roman Holiday, I abruptly hit a curb with my bicycle. Luckily my elbow took one for the team. Well, it ended up getting fractured and I have all kinds of internal business go ... More >>

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

2009 was definitely a year, we'll say that much.

Dwight Yoakam at the Arena Theatre, Take 2: It Only Hurts When I Cry

[Ed. note: That's right, this show was so nice we're reviewing it twice.] Photos by Jason Wolter​ Dwight Yoakam may not have sung that particular Ray Price song Saturday night at the Arena Theatre - maybe he forgot; we've never seen a set list in a three-ring binder before - but he's sure got hear ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: The Mucky Duck Hits a Hot Streak In the Cool Weather

Lonesome, Onry and Mean just noticed that venerable listening room McGonigel's Mucky Duck has a major streak of high-grade talent Nov. 12 through 17. Beginning with the Subdudes on the 12th, the Duck quickly plows through Texas legend Ray Wylie Hubbard (13th), troubadour-poet Tom Russell (14th), on ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: My Son, the Guitar-Slinger

William Michael SmithLance Smith (left) and Mike Stinson​ LOM grew up in the oil patch, made a good living in it, saw the world because of it. So it made sense to want our son, Lance, to grow up to be a petroleum engineer. Alas, it was not to be. Now he's a guitar player. Two years into the petrol ... More >>

Sahm Does Sahm

Album of the Week: Keep Your Soul: A Tribute to Doug Sahm

As much as he deserves one - make that several - Doug Sahm is a tricky subject for a tribute album. The late San Antonio native known as "Sir Doug" was a true musical polymath, a master of just about every form of post-WWII popular music, both the big ones - country, blues, rock ... More >>

Steve Forbert: The Place And The Time

www.steveforbert.com

Tonight: Mike Barfield and Danny Gardner at Under the Volcano

Mike Barfield, "Lonesome Train" Mike Barfield and Danny Gardner have been around the Houston roots-rock/country scene so long they remember Club Hey Hey and Blues Burger. Back before they parted company - Barfield moving to front the Hollisters and Gardner working with Mitch Jacobs in Romeo Dogs - ... More >>

Mike Stinson

The Hacienda Brothers

Saturday, September 9, at the Continental Club, 3700 Main, 713-529-9899

A Crying Shame

RIP, Cactus Music and Video

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

Monday, October 10, at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, 713-528-5999.

Playbill

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

Americana Pie

Grab a slice of 2004's best roots music while it's still hot

Colorado River Blues

For New Mexico-bred singer-songwriter Eric Hisaw, the move to Austin is just starting to pay

Squeeze City

Mark Halata hopes his Texavian strains can be heard in a town full of accordions

Tom Russell

Borderland (Hightone)

Picking Away at History

Singer-songwriter Tom Russell explores his past to understand his present

Playbill

Elvis Incarnate: Mojo Nixon

Reason to Roam

At 67, Ramblin' Jack Elliott reclaims -- temporarily -- the urge to wander

Hats Off

Dwight Yoakam's the last great country singer -- and he doesn't need a twang to prove it

On the Right Track

Looking for Billy Zoom

X was the West's great punk hope. But now they're finding more fun in their new worlds.

Rotation

Rotations

Somber News from Nashville

Townes Van Zandt hospitalized with lung problems

Doomed or Domed?

Harvey's Club Deluxe has risen from the ashes of its predecessors. Those ashes just may be some prime real estate.

My Oh My

Can that Guy Forsyth play the blues